What Hatred Can Bring
by animefreak9058
Summary: While Jack is trying to keep up with his work, he meets another spirit. One even younger then him! As he slowly starts becoming friends with her, he learns that Fear isn't the only thing that can plague the children of the world. Sorry that this summary sucks! This is my first story on here, so please give feedback!


Chapter 1

Where an Itch May Take You

Jack Frost wasn't what you would call _precise_. When he thought he was late, he was only slightly early. When he thought he was early, he was _very_ late. And right now, he was more than very late. Jack was _extremely_ late. He checked his 'Frost Watch' that North had made him to keep up on work. It would show him what day he was needed to make frost, or snow, or both and also what day to do this. According to the watch, he was supposed to be in Belington _a day ago_ to start the frost for the end of fall and the start of winter. Groaning, Jack pushed the wind to move him faster. He could already hear the chorus of discipline from North, the jokes from Bunny mixed with Tooth's annoying encouragement and Sandy dinging an elf's bell for attention. Not that Jack minded any of it. It was just very obnoxious to him to disappoint his elder Guardians.

Soon after Jack thought this, he got the itch in his icy hands. This itch was one he would now always get when he was near a place that was in need of frost. He recently found it got worse in late autumn. Jack discovered this skill and now instinct after the battle with Pitch months ago, though it now seemed like years. He had been actually been floating over Burgess, waiting for Jamie to be done with school when his hands had become itchy, no matter how much he scratched them. As he floated farther and farther away from Jamie's school and then the town, they just became itchier and itchier. He soon was over a section of woods outside Burgess that had no snow at all. Jack blasted snow in frustration at the empty woods, wishing for his hands to be free of the annoying itch. To his surprise, the itch left as soon as the snow touched the ground. Since, he followed that itch, which was now leading him to where he was needed. Jack was pulled from his musings by his hands becoming itchier. Far below, he saw the sign declaring the town as Belington.

It was a large suburban town, filled with house of all shapes, colors and sizes. Large oaks hid away many of the house as you went through the town, trees becoming thicker and thicker till you couldn't see the ground anymore. Many of these trees, to Jack's surprise, still had vibrant green leaves on their lengthy branches. This troubled Jack. It was very late fall, the middle of November, the trees should be bright oranges, reds and yellows, not green. As much as it troubled him, Jack brushed it off and out of his mind. It didn't matter to his job at hand really. Glancing at the still bright afternoon sky, Jack debated. It couldn't have been past three yet. Smirking as he thought of his growing following, he decided to start in the thicker part of the forest. That way, he could do his work and not be seen by the children. Zipping down in a neck breaking plummet, Jack aimed for the thick woodland that surrounded Belington. He laughed as birds eyed him for his speed and the wind licked at his legs. Jack enjoyed his hectic flying, though Bunny said he was a nut. But no matter how much fun Jack was having, he stayed cautious. He knew that there were bound to be cabins here and there among the trees. To Jack's greatest dismay, while he was caught up in his thoughts of fun, joy and caution; he had landed not even twenty-five feet from one of those cabins.

Jack mumbled curses that had gotten him in trouble a thousand times with Tooth and North, feeling the itch disappear as the ground under his feet frosted over. _**Damn it!**_ _**Well there goes being careful**_, he thought to himself in irritation. He was about the scamper off into the forest, feeling that the dead of night would be a better time to begin the frost, when something caught his eye. He turned to see some one standing out side the large bay window of the one floored cabin. She was watching something within the wooden walls. Inching ever slightly closer, like a foot or two, Jack saw that the girl was about his age, 16 or 17. He glanced at her appearance from behind. Her hair was a collaboration of spirals, ringlets, and waves that laid in a hot coco shaded harmony on her head. The curls flowed down to the middle of her shoulders like a waterfall, the ends looking a tad darker against her olive coppered skin. The shade made his skin look like a slip of paper in comparison. Odd colors mixed in with the brown caught his eye. She had four braids hidden amongst her locks. All four were a different color. One was a fire orange. Another was apple red. On the back of her head was a braid of golden blonde. Then, to Jack's greatest surprise, he noticed that tucked behind her left ear was a snowy white braid.

Jack's blue eyes trailed lower, finally noticing her clothing and how they were slightly bizarre. She wore a tube top made of giant leaves from some plant, the frill lining the top made of smaller leaves, probably from flowers and trees. It hugged her torso slightly though some how it still looked modest. The top was slightly pulled over her skirt. The skirt went down to her mid to lower thigh and looked like it was made of oak leaves woven together. Many of the leaves were the color of fall, the reds, oranges and yellows that greeted Jack every autumn, while some were still the lush color of green that was a sign of summer. Lowering his eyes further, Jack noticed her bare feet that didn't have a trace of mud on them, and the dark brown swirling tattoos that started at her ankles and snaked up to her knees.

Slowly, Jack moved his gaze back up to the back of this strange girl's head. Obviously, from the way she dressed, she was a spirit. But who? And what were her powers? Why was she here in Belington? Why was she standing at that window? Jack felt his curiosity burn in his gut and mind. _He just had to know!_ Being the Guardian of Fun, curiosity was _always_ a _must_. But more often than not, it caused him much grief. There were many moments like this in his life. The most recent was when he wanted to see what Bunny's warren looked like covered in snow. This wasn't one of his brightest ideas. _**Of course messing with Bunny was never the best idea**_… Shaking his head to making himself focus, Jack returned his attention back to the girl ahead of him. Slowly, he started to walk over to her. He could feel the grass under his feet frosting over as he did.

Jack mentally scolded himself as he watched the girl shiver softly as his frost crepted ahead of its master in his excitement, making the earth around her icy and the air chilly. Despite this, she kept her gaze forward, on the scene that lay beyond the bay window. Jack felt himself come to a stop about ten feet from her. He got a hesitant, nervous feeling in his stomach. What if she was working? He had accidentally disturbed spirits while they had been doing their job before, and it never ended well for him. He didn't was to interrupt her…whither it was her work or not. Jack was turning to leave when a young but motherly alto voice called to him with a soft laugh.

"You can come forward, Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun. I don't bite _that_ hard." Jack couldn't help but smile at the light joke. He hadn't met many spirits, besides the Guardians of course, that would joke with him, not even in the slightest. He has tried many times to find someone to have a laugh with that wasn't busy with eggs, teeth, dreams or toys. It was honestly a blessing when he found someone who he could laugh with. Turning slowly, Jack closed the distance and stood next to the reserved spirit now beside him, looking at the earth under his feet. Though the frost creaked and froze loudly in the utter silence between them, her face never turned from the large window before her, not even to look at the stranger who has intruded on her work or what ever she was doing. Jack glanced up to look through the window himself, to see what held her attention so tightly. Inside, a group of six or seven children giggled and laughed as a small puppy pranced around them. Analyzing the scene before him more, Jack noticed the small creatures had a bandage on its hind right leg and a slight limp. Slowly though, his sharp eyes picked up on how the animal limped less and less by the passing seconds.

Jack turned his gaze upon the quiet girl beside him and for the first time, he saw her face. He nearly gasped at the honey glazed chocolate eyes gleaming with focus. He had never seen such a rich shade of golden brown. It would put the honey bees to same. Her eyes glittered in the slight sunlight that the overcasting trees allowed through. Jack noticed her pointed tipped ears twitched and turning an ever so slight pink. Quickly turning back to the window, he saw the puppy no longer limped, but jumped and pounced at the gleeful children. Once again, Jack snapped his head to look at the girl next to him, but was surprised to have his icicle blue orbs meet with honey chocolate ones. Jack swallowed hard to fight back to blush that threatened his face.

Her face was the shape of a heart with her combined curls framing it. As she smiled kindly at him, like prompting him to speak, Jack couldn't help but notice how white her teeth looked behind the rose shade that was her lips. He knew Tooth would go nuts at the sight of such white teeth and her lips reminded him of rose petals. She gave of off a glow and aura of relaxing peace and friendly affection, things that Jack longed for once, that some people naturally illuminated. Admiring these features, Jack ignored how, in the back of his mind, he was reminding himself how he was just focusing on the details of her face to try and ease the sharp blush that had already spread on his deathly pale cheeks. Jack tried to remember how to breathe and how to talk. This spirit had awed him in so many ways. Not only was she beautiful, but he skill with her element was astounding. He had never known a spirit that could heal animals, let alone in the speed she did it. Finally focusing, Jack cleared his mind and felt he was able to speak. He had to ask the question that had been plaguing his mind since he saw her.

"_Who are you?_" he had barely whispered but almost regretted its results. She smiled a heartbreakingly sad smile that somehow still held the warmth that the kind smile held before. It nearly shattered Jack's heart. But as quickly as that smile came, it was gone. The girl turned to face him fully, looking up the five inches to meet his icy eyes. He successfully held back his heated blush this time around. His deadly pale hand ran through his snow-white hair nervously, watching her gaze drop to analyze him as he had to her. She gave him a one over, taking in his bare feet and pants that were tied around his calves and his waist. Sliding her gaze up, she eyed his light blue hoodie, grazing over the frost along his shoulders, and looked over his pale face and shock white hair. Jack hadn't felt like such bug under a microscope since he had met the Guardians for the first time. After what seemed like an eternity of being inspected, the girl's eyes met with his again. Jack lost his breath as a warm motherly smile broke across her face. He didn't know how someone could hold such a smile on the same face that had held such a sad one moments before. Jack was jolted from his thoughts when his mind made him realize, he was staring at her. And much to his further embarrassment, he felt his blush creeping back. The girl giggled softly, a musical sound to Jack's ears, and introduced her self in a matter of fact tone.

"I was Holly Moether-Notur, now I'm Holly Mother Nature. But more likely than not, _you_ know me as Just Mother Nature." Jack blinked. Hard. He had heard of Mother Nature. As far as Jack knew, which was little apparently, everyone had heard of her. But _heard _was as far as it went for most, Jack guessed. The only ones Jack knew of that had actually seen her, were the Guardians. She was said to be one of the kindest spirits in the entire world (a certain fairy had sighed), though only 'few' had even heard of her until recently (supplied by a jolly Russian). And that it was such a pity for her to have such a small following of children (The Australian Kangaroo had mumbled this around a carrot). Of course, this was all things he had heard from the Guardians (obviously) in his high pursuit for answers about the world around him. When they had told him about Mother Nature, Jack had pictured a hunched over, friendly _grandma_. Feeling that going to find a woman who would only want to sit about wouldn't be fun for him, Jack never pursued looking for her. Now that he was face to face with her, he was dumbstruck by his lack of knowledge on the girl. How wrong Jack had been about Mother Nature. In his awed state, Jack, being his _sooo smooth self_, said the first thing that came to his mind.

"But, but, you're _young_!" he blurted, feeling himself blush at his stupid ness. He watched her face go black in surprise, fearing the worst. She bit her bottom lip slightly, her shoulders shaking the slightest. Jack closed his eyes, waiting to the sharp slap to come across his cheek. He wasn't prepared for what came instead. A raw, young laugh echoed through the crisp air around him, the kind of laugh that Jack used or heard from children when something was truly funny or enjoyable. Opening his eyes, Jack watched the girl in front of him laugh. Her laugh was like a choir of bells on the wind. And the smile that accompanied it was not the motherly, adult looking smile she had worn before. It was a smile that held true happiness and childish joy. A smile that was hard to come by, like the one gave after slide riding or an amazing snow ball fight. He softly smiled himself, enjoying the happiness that radiated off her. He had never seen someone so amused.

She hadn't seemed like the type of person to laugh like a child. Mother Nature, as dumb and obvious as it sounded later to Jack, reminded him of a mother, to be honest. She had that motherly warmth to her that most mothers gave off in Jack's opinion, and the air of a woman that has taken care of many kids. But Jack knew she was too young for that. She was frozen in time at the same age he was. And she definitely didn't seem like most of the teens Jack had seen in this modern time. But that didn't explain this "grown up" ness that she gave off except now, as she tried to control her child like laughter. Jack found this was the only reason why her laughter took him by surprise. She had seemed too grown up to be laughing like this, the kind of laughter that Jack always held. That's when a thought, and a memory, sauntered into his mind. What if she had had to grow up, to soon? Jack could remember many girls in his youth that had had to be mother to younger siblings and other children they had taken in, and even in towns that he visited now, there were children that had to be the adults.

Jack returned his focus on Mother Nature. She was talking deep breaths, finally controlling in self and regaining her adult like composure to Jack's dismay. For some reason, he wanted to see more of that side. But that was for later, Jack decided, being as she was now looking at him with amused eyes that Jack's keen eyes also recognized embarrassment with. Her embarrassment was also given away by the fact that her face as the lightest shade of pink.

"I'm sorry for that, but I have never heard something that funny in almost all of my one hundred years in this life." she said breathlessly from laughing so hard. She looked back at the window, watching the children get called to the visible dinning room as Jack's jaw dropped. Only one hundred? With control at the same level as Jack's that he had to develop in three hundred? He couldn't believe it. It was way too impossible.

"You're only one hundred? Seriously?" Jack couldn't get over it as she nodded looking amused again. After giggling, she turned to smile at the puppy that was getting comfortable by the fire, letting Jack get his composure back. Jack wasn't angry with himself. He had learned that everyone learns at a different pace, thanks to Tooth teaching him languages. Learning of her age only made Jack fill with more questions to ask her. He was about to ask one of those questions when a small voice came from behind him, where the red door of the cabin was.

"Mama Nature? Is that you back there? And who's this with you?" Jack turned around and laid his ice-cube gaze upon a small blonde girl with baby blue eyes. Her freckles stretched over her nose as she looked unsurely at Jack, who just shuffled his feet nervously then planted her gaze on Mother Nature. Jack wasn't sure what to do. She seemed like she saw him but how could he be so sure? He also didn't want to out right ask the child if she could. Jack didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the spirit he had just met. After a few moments of inner conflict, Jack felt a warm hand on his shoulder, causing him to freeze like the ice he creates. He felt, warmth and affection swarm his body for the moment that she touched him. In that moment, he felt like he could do anything, but it disappeared as her hand left his shoulder. He glanced at her reassuring smile as she turned back to the small girl. Silently, Mother Nature walked past him to crouch by the child. She bent slowly at the knees so her skirt wouldn't come and ending up kneeling and sitting on her legs in front of the small girl. Mother Natured pulled a red leaf off the bottom of her skirt and handed it to the girl, who jumped up and down in excitement.

"Hello Jilly. How are you, dearest?" Jack was shocked at the love and affection that came from the Mother Nature's voice. She sounded like a true mother, like she was really the mother of this child. The kid, 'Jilly' apparently, smiled as she played with the leaf in her hands. She twirled it happily as she spoke in a not so quiet whisper.

"I'm fine, thank you! But who's that boy? He seems lost." the small girl peeked over Mother Nature's shoulder, glancing at him with a curiously stare. Jack was confused, happy the girl could see him, but confused. She didn't know him, but she could see him. _**What gives?**_ Jack huffed inwardly. This whole day was getting odd and slightly frustrating in Jack's eyes. But Jack couldn't have prepared himself for what came out of Mother Nature's mouth next. Not in a million years.

"Why Jillian Marsh, I thought _you, _of all the children, would know Jack Frost when he was around!" Mother Nature gave a mock shock and laughed in a good-natured way. Jillian's eyes went wide with shock and amazement. Jack was ecstatic. The children here knew him! He could tell by the way Mother Nature talked and the way Jillian reacted. She began squealing happily and stuttering to the point where you couldn't understand her. Jack couldn't help but smiling his signature smile and sending small snow flakes in her direction, showing her in them lightly. Jillian danced around in the soft down pour of snow till an older woman's voice called her back inside. Mother Nature muttered words of love and promises of visits and "bringing Mr. Frost again", before, with a heart warming hug, she sent Jillian on her way back inside. After she had risen from the ground and joined him back at the window, Mother Nature and Jack watched as Jillian danced back to the other children in the dinning room in the back of the cabin, laughing with the rest of them. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Mother Nature smiling, not with a motherly under shade or childish over lay, just smiling. Jack lost his breath at its beauty, but quickly forced himself to regain composure. He tried to sound as indifferent as possible

"_So_, Mother Nature-"

"Holly."

"Uh, what?"

"Call me Holly. When talking to other spirits, Mother Nature kind of too formal…"

"Well… okay then." Jack laughed slightly, mostly because of his jumpy nerves' "Why are you here in Belington, Holly?" She looked thoughtful for a moment as if debating how much to say and how to say it. Ignoring a wave of frustration in recognizing the look the Guardians sometimes gave in the face of questions, he focused on her lovely features again. Jack felt himself getting lost in her features again when she started to speak.

"I am the Spirit of the Forest but, I am also the Spirit of Comfort. I was changing the leaves to autumn colors to prepare the trees for your arrival when the puppy, Lela," she gestured to the puppy now asleep by the fire in the cabin "sprained its leg playing. The children were distressed because the puppy was whimpering and the puppy was in so much pain…" Jack watched as her face shifted to a look of sadness and worry and he wished he could have helped as he listened on to her answer, "so I helped the poor thing by healing it. I can do that for anything in nature or creäture in nature." She finished with a satisfied tone in her voice. Jack nodded, smiling at her self assuredness, but then looked confused as her words sunk in.

"Spirit of Comfort? That sounds like a Guardian title…" Jack looked slightly skeptical at the spirit across from him, but smiled in a joking manner. He wanted to befriend this spirit, for what ever reason, so he was going to crank up he best attribute and feature, his humor and ever shifting smile. Unfortunately, she was still looking at the resting puppy in the window.

"I know, I know but it's true! It comes with the whole spirit of nature thing, I guess…" Tailing off, she turned to look out into the forest. Jack gaped as he saw a soft glow come from the white braid behind her ear that he had admired earlier and her eyes flash a similar hue. A soft wind seemed to whip around her softly, ruffling her hair and lulling her eyes closed in concentration. She opened her eyes, and ever slowly, Holly Mother Nature turned he soft gaze back to Jack and saw a slight regret in her honey glazed eyes. "I must go Jack Frost… I have put you farther behind schedule then you already are. I'm sorry for that. You can start the frost here. I will finish my rounds with changing the leave and I'll be on my way to the next town… It was wondrous to meet you. Truly it was. I have been telling the children about you for so long…" She smiled the heart melting smile she held when she first saw him, and then with a friendly wave, she started jogging off toward the grove of still green leaves. Jack felt him self grow sullen as he watched her go. He wanted to know her. She seemed _fun_. And something more drawled him to her, but he couldn't place it…Unable to stop him self, Jack called after Holly.

"I hope I'll meet you again, Holly!" he smiled mischievously as she stopped to look at him, thirty feet from him and the small cabin. "We'll have to hang out in our off-season! And by the way, it's just Jack! Jack Frost is too formal!" he added to last sentence to be a smartass and jokester but she laughed at the jab all the same. He felt his heart flutter slightly at her next soft, longing words.

"So we shall, Jack, so we shall." As these words reached his ears, she had disappeared in a tornado of leaves. Jack smiled wider, unable to contain it much longer. He had made another friend, besides the Guardians, and she seemed like she though he was as interesting as he thought her. As Jack started frosting over the earth below him, he walked around the area of forest with colored leaves. He smiled at them, thinking of the Holly's wondrous braids in similar shades. And how her lips were the same shade as the rose-bush that was some how still in bloomed under that tree… and how her hair gleams in the now setting sunlight…Jack stopped short in his long stride, halting his conquest of frosting over the earth. Why was he thinking all these things about her? This isn't something friends normally though of each other. Then it hit him and he blushed darkly. _I have a crush on Holly Mother Nature…_ he hurried his pace, finishing this section of the forest quickly. He had to see her again now…. But Bunny was _not _allowed to know why.

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Holly smiled as she shifted out of the tree. She hadn't expected him to be so….._charming._ She blushed softly to herself. Yes, he was very charming. _**And sweet, respectful, loves children- **_she shook herself. Holly couldn't afford to feel like this. She had millions of children that needed comfort, from her herself or the comfort she granted from events she caused. Also she had fifteen more towns that still needed the leaves changed. Holly knew these were all excuses to hide from her self the darker more sinister reason to why she couldn't fall for anyone. Thinking back on his request, Holly felt guilty. She didn't want to lead him into her dark problems and secrets. But oh how she wanted to see him again. absent-mindedly, she traipsed past trees, running her hand over the trunks of the tree and the leaves began their change of colors. Stopping outside the town, now full of autumn and soon frost, Holly made up her mind. She would see Jack Frost again, _**just as friends**_, she thought to her self glumly. As she made this decision, forming a leaf tornado around her, she failed notice the shift in the shades around her, making her tattoos on her legs glow onyx black.


End file.
